11 Tips on Internet Security

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In recent times, the GDK Helpdesk has experienced a significant rise in Internet threats and in particular with Ransomeware such as Cryptolocker and Xepto. In most cases the solution to this problem was to restore from the last known good backup. GDK are taking this opportunity to remind our clients and our contacts of some of the best practices in relation to Internet and eMail usage. We are also making some suggestions below in relation to the Multi layered security approach that is now required to ensure a successful IT business continuity Plan.

  1. Use a Managed Antivirus product & and ensure it is active and up to date on your Servers, workstations, PC's and Tablets.
  2. Be careful of opening  emails from both known and unknown sources that look suspicious.
  3. Think twice and remain critical when opening attachments in e-mails or files downloaded from the Internet.
    Ask yourself if you trust the source and if they would send you this type of Email in the first place. Email addresses from the sender may be fabricated to look like yours.
    Never click links in emails or texts that seem to come from your bank, the Revenue or any other institution. If you think the message might be valid, log into your account directly, without using the supplied link.
  4. Be cautious with your passwords; don't use personal names, don't share them, make them difficult to break, use complex passwords. Implement a password change policy.
  5. Avoid using the internet to access your sensitive data in cafes or public places.
  6. Never leave your devices unattended.
  7.  Keep all software applications up-to-date with the latest patches including Microsoft Operating Systems
  8. Disable Java on your browser.
  9. Nothing is free. Be particularly careful of the source for free apps or software.  
  10. Don’t trust anything on the internet (even legitimate Web sites could end up delivering malware).  
  11. Back up your Data on all devices– not just your computer, but also your phone and your tablet ideally in both a local and cloud destination. Test the restore capabilities on a regular basis

What should Business Clients do?

  • Implement a robust data recovery procedure
  • Implement a multi layered security approach that would include:
    • Mail Protection (Includes anti-spam)
    • Server & Work Station Antivirus with up to date bit patterns
    • Implement a Workstation Management Policy which manages the Patch updating from all software applications.
    • Implement Web Protection on all workstations to avoid access to known malware internet sites
    • Insist on Firewall protection with additional security at the gateway for Antivirus, Anti Spyware and Intrusion prevention.
    • Configure your firewall to ensure remote users are who they say they are.

Call GDK for further information and how we have successfully implemented our Business IT Care plan for many clients.

How to prevent Cyber Attacks on your Computers?

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Cyber-criminals are constantly evolving their tactics. They employ several complex techniques to avoid detection as they sneak quietly into computer networks to steal valuable information.
How secure is your network?  Explore the four primary strategies cyber-criminals employ to infiltrate your network and learn how to apply best practices and discover what your firewall needs to do to counter the cyber-attacks.

Counter-attack #1
Protect your network every minute of every day. Insist on a firewall that leverages the power of the cloud for real-time countermeasures to the latest malware threats. An effective firewall needs to be continuously updated, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Cyber-attack strategy #1
Bombard networks with malware around the clock. Cyber-criminals work 24/7 to exploit your weaknesses especially out of date anti-malware technology.

 

Counter-attack #2
Ensure that your network is protected against all types of malware. To stay ahead of threats, consider multiple layers of protection against malware that provides continuous and timely updates to safeguard networks around the clock from millions of new malware variants as soon as they are discovered.

Cyber-attack strategy #2
Infect networks with different forms of malware. Cyber-criminals use different types of malware such as Viruses, Worms, Trojans, Spyware and Adware to catch you off guard. Trojans are designed specifically to extract sensitive data from the network.

Counter-attack #3
Choose a firewall that offers superior threat protection and high performance that has been independently tested and certified for network-based malware protection by ICSA Labs.

Cyber-attack strategy #3
Find and compromise the weakest networks. Cyber-criminals often target their victims based on the network weaknesses they discover

Counter-attack #4
Choose a firewall that protects against global threats. To block the latest global threats, invest in a security solution with global reach.

Cyber-attack strategy #4
Morph frequently and attack globally. New threats are popping up every hour on all continents.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Cyber-attacks are on the rise and firewall vulnerabilities are creating tangible business risks for your organization today.
GDK can assist you in a variety of ways to protect your computer systems:

1) Review the role of your Firewall:

  1. GDK can review your existing configurations and ensure that you have the correct configuration in place to avoid any security exposures.
  2. GDK will ensure that that your firewall is maximising the performance of your broadband configuration eg: e-fibre from Eir.
  3. GDK will review the Unified Threat Management software included in your firewall which needs to be kept up to date annually

2) Include GDK’s Web Protection as part of your Security Suite as well:

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  1. Keep your business safe and your end-users protected by securing against websites pushing malware, phishing, proxies, spyware, adware, botnets and spam
  2. Apply time-based browsing rules and web content filtering policies across a robust range of website categories
  3. Manage bandwidth usage with alerts when devices exceed thresholds - enabling quick remediation to avoid unwanted costs or a throttled network.

 3) Implement GDK’s Email Security and Business Continuity Mail Solution as part of your configuration:

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  1. Provides an additional layer of security for Office 365, blocking threats before they reach a company’s mail, even if, as with Office 365, that email server is cloud-based.
  2. Mail-Protection provides a unique combination of technologies to secure your customers' networks against email-borne threats, including zero-hour antivirus defence, virtualization-based malware detection technology and traditional signature-based antivirus engines.
  3. Provides improved Spam Protection engines
  4. Provides Business Continuity for your email system and secure easy access to archived mail.

If you have any security concerns regarding Internet threats and protecting your business from Cyber Attacks please contact us and we can provide a free consultancy review.  Ring us now or click here to Fill in the Contact Form. 
We are here to assist you.

You can read more on the Cyber Attacks in this eBook